#TeamTCUK athlete, Niall Duncan, took part in the second ever IM70.3 Edinburgh. Well prepared for his race with some surprising (for Scotland!) warm, sunny weather, Niall powered his way through a calm sea swim, a hilly bike and half marathon to complete his very first 70.3 race in just over six hours.

Pre-race

In the taper weeks it was great to begin to feel the hard work had now been done and it was just about enjoying the pre-race build up. Coincidentally the weather in Scotland became amazing so I completed my last few rides and runs in the summer sun. I had a good conversation with Matt in the week leading up to the event where we ironed out some overthinking issues and he gave me some in-race tips which came in very useful on the day. In addition, the race plan was very clear and detailed and I had it well in advance.

Without a doubt I felt seriously well prepared for my first 70.3. A lot of people asked me in advance how I was feeling, and the truth is I felt great and ready, and not overly intimidated by the distance. This is because I had confidence in the training Matt had prescribed and the progression I have made. This confidence was very useful on race day as I felt way less nervous than I have on some previous, shorter, triathlons.

Swim

Time: 44:24

The sea looked really inviting and flat. I felt calm and ready waiting for my rolling start. I was able to watch faster athletes swimming well to the right of the first buoy and would try to avoid doing that. Because of the self-seeded rolling start I didn’t experience the washing machine start. The current did push me bit wide, so I swam 150m over, but I really enjoyed this part of the race, just got myself a bit of space, got into a rhythm and didn’t push too hard, as instructed by the race report.

The water being warm and calm, and the open water prep I have done set me up really well. The calm beginning to the race set a nice tone for the day. I had plenty of space around me mostly and was able to execute at my own pace. Negative was the strong sun which made sighting almost impossible on the return leg, and my swimming too long.

T1

Time: 6:01

I was relaxed in T1, just took my time and made sure I had everything required. I could have been quicker but I was more concerned with getting it right than making it quick. The race organisation made everything really easy and there were no negatives at this point.

Bike

Time: 3:13:37

I actually found it really difficult to execute the race plan at this time. Because I feel like biking is my strongest discipline I wanted to push on, but during the first 30 minutes I was under strong encouragement by Matt to keep my HR low. So I felt like I was being passed by everyone as I ambled along. At this point I also began my nutrition plan of flapjack pieces every 20 mins for the first 2hrs then onto Cliff Bloks.

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However, these first 30 minutes did allow me to settle and avoid spiking my HR irretrievably. I pushed on for the rest of the bike, spinning as much as possible up the inclines and trying to take advantage of the flats. This is a hilly and technical course where the descents don’t really reward the efforts on the inclines because of the potholes and dog legs. I had hoped I might go 3 hours or under on the bike, but I wasn’t prepared to risk blowing up later for a faster bike, especially given the heat. Again, in the context of the overall race the bike plan worked really well.

The best thing about the bike was feeling I was riding within my abilities all the time, having the discipline not to push too hard and being able to pace appropriately. I feel like the pacing was good. The negatives were course related, the hillier courses don’t suit me best, and there was a bit of drafting going on which I needed to work to avoid a couple of times.

T2

Time: 4.:51

T2 was a very straightforward transition, again I just took my time and made sure to get everything right.

Run

Time: 2:13:43

The run was another hilly affair of 3 laps with over 1100m of climbing. Combined with strong sun and a temperature of over 20 degrees, I really had to make sure that I was prepared to slow it down a bit and keep getting fluids on. In addition, it made controlling HR a bit more difficult. However, I settled into a rhythm and used Matt’s advice of the mantra “tall, light, relaxed” often. I slowed a little on the inclines but was determined not to walk at any point. My consistent and controlled pace saw me running past many, many walkers later on the course. I abandoned solid food on the run and was talking electrolytes and water, and a couple of caffeine gels and colas on laps 2 and 3.

The support on the run was amazing, with lots of friends and family and my brilliant wife to watch. I felt strong on the run, always within myself, and my supporters said I seemed “smilier” than a lot of others, which is testament to how good (relatively) I was feeling. It was great to still be enjoying it during the run and soak in the atmosphere. On the final mile I was actually able to surge and ran strongly up the finish chute to a 70.3 debut of 6:22:35.

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Post-race

I had a few well deserved beers and pizza after the race, and am actually still buzzing from the race now (the next morning). I am planning a foam roll today and a bit of a relax tomorrow, maybe a massage this week. I will get into the loch on Wednesday and do some easy training this week. I am happy to have some unstructured training for a couple of weeks. I am doing a fun relay sprint next week. I think I will book in some more shorter triathlons this year, and look at what 70.3s I can focus on for 2019.

Race review

Edinburgh is actually a small race by IM standards, with under 900 athletes. Whether this is to do with the conditions in 2017 or the difficulty of the course I don’t know. What I do know is that I would recommend it heartily to anyone. The organisation of the race was great, but it really is all about the support from the crowds. The villages and towns on the bike were out in force, and there was a real festival atmosphere in Holyrood Park - which is an outstanding venue for a race hub. The course is challenging, but satisfying and stunning. Running around Edinburgh’s central park is really special, it even includes a tunnel of about 2 km which was a real party area with banging music and wild supporters! In addition, Edinburgh is a great destination with friendly people and loads of great sightseeing.